Matter and Energy in Ecosystems Study Guide PDF

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems Study Guide Vocabulary: assimilation, atmosphere, bacteria, biogeochemical cycle, biosphere, carbon, carbon cycle, cellular respiration, closed system, condensation, decomposition, evaporation, fixation, fossil fuels, geosphe...

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems Study Guide Vocabulary: assimilation, atmosphere, bacteria, biogeochemical cycle, biosphere, carbon, carbon cycle, cellular respiration, closed system, condensation, decomposition, evaporation, fixation, fossil fuels, geosphere, hydrogen, hydrologic cycle, hydrosphere, nitrate, nitrogen, nitrogen cycle, phosphorus, phosphorus cycle, precipitation, scavenger, sulfur, sulfur cycle, transpiration, water cycle, weathering. Perform basic processes: Relate the concept of the conservation of matter to the cycling of matter on the Earth. Explain why the Earth is a closed system in terms of water, nutrients, and minerals. Model how energy from the sun flows into, is used, and flows out of an ecosystem. List the major biogeochemical cycles including if they are biotic/abiotic (for example, hydrologic, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur). Explain how carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur are necessary to sustain life. Describe the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere. vocabulary: cultural service, economic value, ecosystem service, provision service, regulating service, support service. Perform basic processes: Identify ecosystem services that humans rely on. Describe services provided by ecosystems: ❖ support (for example, cycling matter necessary for life). ❖ provision (for example, providing food, fuel, and raw materials). ❖ regulating (for example, decomposition of dead things, air filtration, flood control). ❖ cultural (for example, beauty of nature). Explain how different ecosystem services rely on: ❖ biogeochemical cycles. ❖ abiotic parts of an ecosystem. ❖ biotic parts of an ecosystem. Explain how ecosystem services have an economic value (for example, hypothesize about how much it would cost humans to provide the same services provided by ecosystems). Explain what makes an ecosystem healthy or intact. Relate the health of an ecosystem to the biodiversity within it. Compare how ecosystems with high biodiversity and low biodiversity react to changes within their ecosystems (high biodiversity makes ecosystems more resilient against change). 1. Explain how matter cycles and energy flows through the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem (for example, model a biogeochemical cycle and explain how the cycle depends on the movement of matter between biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem).  2. Explain how interactions between living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem provide specific services that are of value to humans (for example, relate specific ecosystem services that humans rely on to the interaction of biotic and abiotic aspects of an ecosystem, such as how trees provide fiber, filter air, and prevent runoff and erosion). 3. Hypothesize what would occur given major changes to biotic or abiotic factors within an ecosystem (for example, research the abiotic and biotic parts of an ecosystem involved in specific biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem services, and take a position on what would happen if these factors increased or decreased dramatically)